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STATEMENT BY SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY ON SECRETARY SPELLINGS’ REMARKS ON THE REPORT OF THE COMMISSION ON THE FUTURE OF HIGHER EDUCATION


Washington, D.C. – Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement on Secretary Spellings’ remarks on the report of the Commission on the Future of Higher Education: “I applaud Secretary Spellings’ call to address the skyrocketing cost of college. Step one of her plan should be to convince the President to immediately increase the Pell Grant to $5100, as he has promised to do repeatedly. I’m disappointed, though, that neither the Secretary nor the Commission put forward ideas to reform the most troubling aspect of higher education today – our dysfunctional student loan system. That system squanders billions each year to provide corporate welfare to big lenders, rather than serving the best interests of our students. No conversation about the future of higher education can move forward effectively without addressing this urgent problem. It’s time to throw the money-changers out of the temple of higher education.” ###